Traditions
by wolfenqueenyuri
Summary: Jafar and Anastasia get into the spirit of Halloween, and the origin of the Jack-O-Lantern is explained. Halloween fluff. Red Sorcerer. Future AU,


Author's note: I love writing Halloween-themed fics. Since I wrote a Golden Queen one last year I decided to give my new pet pairing the honor this time. This is set sometime in the future, and is entirely AU since I highly doubt canon would go this route with them. But it was fun to play around with Jafar and Ana in modern times. Additionally: the story about the origin of the Jack-o-Lantern is the real legend. It's quite an interesting tale. Happy Halloween Everyone!

Traditions

"This is a very strange custom," Anastasia announced, breaking the silence and Jafar's concentration, causing him to look up from his work.

"How so?" he arched an eyebrow in her direction.

"Well, it's a _pumpkin_. And while I get a certain satisfaction out of disemboweling one, I don't understand what it has to do with an ancient Celtic festival."

Jafar looked over at his love, impressed. "You know of the holiday's origins, do you?"

Anastasia sighed and put down her carving tool. "I know that Halloween derives from the festival of Samhain, and that was to celebrate the end of the harvest season. What I don't understand is how it's evolved into a night that amounts to children gorging themselves on sugar and running around in costumes. And the pumpkins. What is the deal with the pumpkins?"

Chuckling, the sorcerer moved away from the one that he was carving in order to sit next to his Queen.

They were both still getting used to living in modern times, and he certainly enjoyed seeing his fiancée in such form-fitting clothing, but he could understand where her confusion came from.

"I looked into the history, actually. It turns out that Jack-O-Lanterns originated from an Irish Myth."

Anastasia moved her chair closer to his. "Go on."

"Apparently, there was a man, who was nicknamed "Stingy Jack." One night he asked the Devil himself to have drinks with him, but, as his nickname suggests: he didn't want to pay for them. So he tricked the Devil into turning himself into a coin so that he could pay."

"Clever," Anastasia remarked.

"Once the Devil transformed, Jack decided to keep the coin for himself, and put it into his pocked with a silver cross, which kept the Devil from transforming back. Eventually Jack set him free, but under the condition that he would not bother him for a year, and that he wouldn't claim Jack's soul. Then he ended up tricking the Devil again the following year and trapped him in a tree."

"Wow. The Devil suffered from some extremely poor luck, didn't he?"

Jafar chuckled and caressed at her hand sweetly before continuing. "Soon after that second trick, Jack died. God wouldn't allow him into heaven, and the Devil, still upset but keeping to his word not to claim Jack's soul, wouldn't allow him into hell. He sent Jack off into the night with just a burning coal to light his way. Jack put the coal into a turnip and used it as a lantern, and he's supposedly been roaming the earth as a spirit ever since. He was called "Jack of the Lantern," which was shortened to "Jack-o-Lantern."

"But wait. He used a turnip. Where do the pumpkins come in?"

"I was just about to get to that." Jafar resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "In Ireland, people began carving frightening faces into turnips or potatoes and placing them in windows or near doors to frighten evil spirits away. The custom grew over the years in Europe, and when immigrants came over to America, they brought it with them. They found that pumpkins, which are native to the land, made the best Jack-o-Lanterns and the tradition stuck."

Anastasia was silent for a few minutes before clearing her throat. "So…these Jack-O-Lanterns apparently ward off evil spirits?"

"That's the tale."

"Do you think they work on ex-boyfriends?"

The sorcerer blinked owlishly and then threw his head back and laughed heartily.

His Queen stared at him with an entirely perplexed expression. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing, nothing. I just pictured a certain Knave running and screaming while a giant pumpkin chased him down the road." Jafar wiped away tears of mirth.

The image immediately popped into her head and Anastasia burst into peals of laughter as well.

Grinning, and in a playful mood, Jafar scooped up a handful of pumpkin seeds and lobbed them over at her.

She shrieked in surprise when she was hit right on the chest, seeds and pumpkin goop dripping down into the low-cut neck of her blouse. "JAFAR!"

"It's a good look for you," he teased, only to be struck in the face with a blob of pumpkin in retaliation.

Anastasia giggled. "You too."

He smirked before attacking again, and it developed into an outright war in seconds.

Before long, they were both covered in pumpkin seeds and mush, laughing hysterically at the sight of one-another.

Ultimately, it was Jafar that surrendered first, and Anastasia smiled contentedly before tugging her soon-to-be husband towards her and initiating a passionate kiss that quickly shifted the mood.

Sighing against her mouth, Jafar wrapped his arms around Anastasia's waist and held her close as the embrace deepened, punctuating his attentions with soft nips and teases until they had to pull back for air.

Anastasia peered up at him, her gray-blue eyes sparkling. "I think I need a shower."

He smiled warmly and brushed a strand of hair away from her eyes. "How about we share one?"

It came as no surprise when she didn't argue.

The End


End file.
